


Heart of a Warrior

by writewithurheart



Series: What It Takes [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Basically, Connor is William, F/M, Gen, but you could replace the names and it would work, this an an old AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 16:27:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15416949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writewithurheart/pseuds/writewithurheart
Summary: A Continuation of "For a Child's Happiness"It's been five years since Oliver left and the team and Connor have grown up. Now, on the anniversary of Oliver's disappearance, a shadowy figure appears and it's up to Team Arrow to figure out what he wants.





	Heart of a Warrior

**Author's Note:**

> So it's been a couple years since I wrote the original story and got the idea for this sequel...I wrote 7000 words and then got swept up in other things. Someone recently posted on the original story about this so I decided to post what I have so far. I could be a really dick move because it's not complete at the moment, but who knows? Maybe I'll get some inspiration once it's out in the universe. 
> 
> And yeah, Connor is basically William Clayton. I wrote this back before he knew the kid's name, but after he had appeared on the Flash so I took the name from the comics. I debated about going back and changing it but for now I'll leave it as is. 
> 
> This is unbeta'd.

**The Heart of a Warrior**

“Connor, you’re going to miss the bus!”

“I’m not going to miss the bus, Aunt Lissy. I’m ready to leave.”

“You haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“I’ll eat at school.”

Felicity frowns as she drags her eyes from the tablet in front of her to look at the boy swaggering down the hall of her apartment like he owns the place. It’s been five years since Oliver left with the League of Assassins and Conner didn’t take it well: gaining a father after losing his mother only to lose his father. Felicity knows all about abandonment issues. She has them out the wazzoo with her father disappearing on them like that and everyone else in her life. Connor, Diggle, Thea...they’re the constants in her life now. Connor has people there, but he doesn’t trust like he should and it melts her heart.

“Connor, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

“And so are lunch and dinner, Aunt Lis. You tell me that for every meal I skip.” He snatches a granola bar from the cabinet and holds it up for her. “See? Breakfast.”

“Connor...”

“I have to go now or I’ll miss the bus. Bye, Aunt Lis!”

She sighs as he runs out the front door. The boy is too much like his father. He’s not good at dealing with his emotions, especially at this time of year, the anniversary of Ra’s Al Ghul’s attack and Oliver’s disappearance. They all had a tough time dealing with that.

Felicity turns her attention back to her tablet and the search running right there. Her fingers lift to caress the picture of Oliver’s face taking up half the screen. A sigh escapes her as she closes her eyes against the threatening tears. Five years and she still hasn’t moved on. There’s a picture of him smiling and laughing with Connor and Thea that still sits in her living room, one she took without their knowledge that day in Big Belly Burger. Some days Connor with pick it up and stare at it. Other days he would slap the picture down so he wouldn’t have to look at it.

This is the reason she has him working with Diggle. He needs training. That’s how Oliver focused and it’s working miracles with his son. But this search...she’s convinced Oliver’s still alive. Even if he’s with the League, there should be a way to find him.

Right?

...

“So, how’s Connor doing?”

Felicity shoots Thea a look over their weekly lunch at Table Salt. They’ve gotten close over the years and she’s pretty sure they both know Connor could be doing so much better.

“Has he been asking about the Arrow again?”

Felicity shakes her head, taking another bite of dinner. “No, but I think that’s because he knows it’s Roy. He’s smart, Thea. He’s known for a while. He also knows you’re Speedy. He’s been asking Diggle about archery again.”

Thea pauses mid-chew before swallowing. “Maybe it’s time for me to teach him.”

“Maybe.” She doesn’t want him involved in the vigilante business at twelve. That’s definitely not her goal. That’s not keeping her best friends’ kid safe.

“Roy says he brought up Gotham and Robin.” Thea looks down, spinning the engagement ring around her finger. “He’s worried the kid might try something.”

“And upset his favorite uncle?”

“Lis...I’m serious. He’s twelve. Oliver wouldn’t want this for his son.”

“Thea, we can’t know that. Oliver gave up any right to parent when he joined the League. Connor’s just trying to connect with his father. We just have to give him a different way to do that.” She sighs. “You should teach him archery. I think he could use that.”

“He’s not the only one who needs something to relax today,” Thea points out with a wry smile that slips off her face almost instantly. She turns back to her salad. “Did your search turn up anything this year?”

Felicity stabs her fork viciously into her food, feeling the failure like the phantom pain of a missing limb. “No. There’s been nothing.”

“What if he’s dead?” She asks the same question every year, probably looking for a different answer, a happier one. If he’s dead, he’s not coming back. But if he’s not dead, he’s back to murdering people. Which of those choices is really the best?

“Thea...You know John and I are working other angles. We’re looking for Nanda Parbat, but it’s been five years. All we’re doing now is waiting for them to make a mistake.”

“What about Laurel?”

Felicity scowls. “What about Laurel?”

“Laurel’s been getting training. Who do you think’s giving it to her?”

“Nyssa’s not going to just give us directions to Nanda Parbat, no matter how close she and Laurel get.”

“We could ask,” Thea suggests, waving her fork in the air to emphasize her point. “She might want to help, you know.”

“She’s only helping Laurel because she loved Sara and they both miss her.” Nyssa kidnapped her son, and Felicity can’t forgive her for that. Connor was in danger because of her and the League. She ever wants to be that terrified ever again.

“Lis, it’s been _five_ years. You’re still looking for him. You haven’t even been on a date in all that time. Palmer’s still asking you out, right?”

Felicity rolls her eyes. “Yes, Thea. We’ve been over this before-“

“Then why haven’t you said yes?”

Felicity sighs. “It’s not that simple.” God, she wished it was that simple. It’s not even that she’s still hung up on Oliver. She’s accepted that she won’t love anyone as much as she loves Oliver. It’s a given and she’s moved on from that fact. No, the problem is that Ray wants more. She can see it in his eyes.

“How is it not simple? Just go on a couple of dates. Live your life.”

“Because we slept together, okay?” She whispers back through gritted teeth.

“What? When?” Thea demands. “You never told me! I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me.”

Felicity suddenly finds the food on her plate fascinating, taking it in like it’s the most interesting thing in the world. “It...it was a thing. Four years ago, when it was clear Oliver wasn’t coming back anytime soon. There were a couple...incidents, but it didn’t mean anything. Ray just wants more.”

“More? As in a relationship?”

Felicity nods reluctantly.

“So what’s the problem?” Thea asks. “You’re ready for a relationship. Why not Palmer?”

“Well, now I’ve got Connor to consider. I don’t want him to go through what I did with my mom and her crazy dating life. He’s already acting out enough.”

“So talk to him. He’s a good kid, Felicity and a lot of that is because of you. He’s a hell of a lot better than Oliver and I ever were at that age. He’s not drinking or doing drugs.”

“I don’t think you were doing that at 12.” She glares at her plate again. She didn’t think she needed to worry about that until later. And even then, Connor’s surrounded by good role models. Sure, half the adults in his life were addicted at some point, but not anymore.

“No, but shortly after.”

“Your father and brother died in a boat wreck....” She falters as she realizes how similar they were in that moment. “And both his parents are gone...but that was years ago. He adjusted.”

“And you’re a great mother, Felicity, but he’s had a lot of people come and go in his life. You know what a toll that takes on a kid.”

“But I never turned to drugs.”

“Then let’s hope you rubbed off on him.” Thea reaches out and squeezes her hand. “For what it’s worth, I think you did.”

“Thank you.” Felicity squeezes her hand back. She never wanted to be a mother, never planned for it. She always figured that if it happened, she would be ready for it or be left raising the child on her own, like her mother. And it terrified her at first, but life took over and suddenly their little family was closer, even if they were missing a key member.

“He loves you. He’s just hitting those teenage years.”

“Now why do I get the feeling that will be the death of me?” Felicity groans into her hands.

Thea laughs. “Because, if he’s anything like Oliver, then he might be.”

...

“Aunt Lis?”

Connor glances around the apartment, stepping slowly inside the slightly dark apartment. He checks the whole apartment before sighing in relief and falling onto the couch. His backpack drops to the floor next to him and he finally dares to turn his cellphone back on.

He drops the phone on the table to let it sync and starts flipping on lights to make it look like he’s been home all afternoon. He doesn’t want to worry his mom. He shifts at the thought. He’s never called her that out loud and she’s never asked him to, but she is. She’s his mother in every way that matters. Hell, if his dad was still around he reckons she really would be.

He just doesn’t want to disappoint her. He knows today’s the anniversary and it puts them both in a funk. She keeps busy doing her computer searches, sorting through all the possible sightings in hope of something new. He’s handling it differently.

_Beep beep_.

Connor picks up his phone, walking into the kitchen as he pulls up his texts.

**Uncle Roy:** _Meet me at the Foundry, kid._  

His heart races a little faster at what this must mean. They finally want his help with something. And he can’t help the smile that spreads over his face as he races to grab the workout bag that is constantly packed beside his door. He needs to get down there before someone changes their mind.

His hand is reaching for the knob of the front door when he hears the click of lock and his mom opens the door.

“Oh! Connor! Where are you headed?” She asks.

“Uh...” He can’t lie. She can see through him like he’s made of cellophane. So instead he kicks his shoe against the carpet and avoids eye contact. “Uncle Roy...he...”

“Asked you to the Foundry?”

Connor pauses at the casual tone of her voice as she deposits her briefcase on the counter and starts sorting through the mail she must have picked up on her way into the apartment. He chances a glance at her and she looks up at his silence.

“Do you need a ride?”

He opens his mouth, but closes it as he finds himself at a loss of words. He didn’t expect her to agree so quickly. He usually has to fight for every chance he has to go to their secret hideout. So he simply nods.

“Great. Just give me a couple minutes and we can grab Big Belly Burger on the way. I don’t know about you, but I am famished.”

He frowns as she kicks of her heels and starts walking towards her room. “And we’re not going to be there all night. You have school tomorrow and I am not going to let you play hookie.”

“So you’re okay with this?” He asks talking through the door as he hears her changing into more comfortable clothes. He wonders what she’s thinking since she’s fought this for so long. He thought this would mean sneaking around behind her back in order to get what he wanted.

“Of course,” She says, pulling the door open to reveal her in jeans, boots, and form-fitting black long-sleeve shirt. She started dressing more casually one he became a bigger part of her life and she grins at him. “Roy and Thea are going to teach you to how to shoot.”

She reaches up at runs a hand over his cheek as he takes in her statement in quiet shock.

“I thought that would make you happy. Now, I’m not agreeing to let you out on the streets. That isn’t even an option until you are _much_ older, but we all agreed it couldn’t hurt for you to learn and it will make you feel closer to your father. He would have wanted to teach you himself, but...” She sighs, turning to face him as she pulls a jacket on. “We’ll have to make do!”

Connor grins and races forward, bouncing up to his toes to press a kiss to her cheek. “You’re the best, Mom!”

...

Felicity freezes even as Connor brushes past her to beat her to the car. Her mouth falls open as she turns to stare after him, so she sees the moment he realizes what he just said. He stops with one foot on the stairs and turns back to her.

“Connor...” her voice trails off as emotions clog her voice, tears welling in her eyes.

He walks back towards her, staring bashfully at the ground as he wraps her in a hug. “You’re the best, Mom,” he repeats into her shoulder.

She gives a watery laugh and hugs him back tightly. “Mom?”

He nods into her. “Yes. Mom.”

“You don’t need to call me that, you know,” she whispers, the words sneaking out because she can’t believe he means it since he hasn’t said it in the last five years. She didn’t even know she wanted him to call her that until he said it just now. God, she likes the sound of that.

“I’ve been calling you that in my head for a while,” he mutters, clinging to her a little tighter.

Her tears slip down her face as she pulls him in.

“Please, don’t cry. Be cool, Mom.” He sighs. “This is why I should have still called you Aunt Lissy.”

“No.” She pulls back, wiping the tears of joy from her face as she smiles down at him. “I’m fine. I’m good, honey. Let’s just...We should go.”

He shakes his head like she’s being ridiculous as he turns back to the car, but she knows he’s smiling just as hard. Felicity locks the door behind her and practically skips up to the car and slides into the driver’s seat. He actually rolls his eyes at her, but Felicity can’t help the smile. He has officially made her day.

...

He watched them from the rooftop across the street, a sense of longing growing in his gut as he watches them joke and laugh. As the blonde pulls the boy in and presses a kiss to his forehead, a tear slips down the man’s face.

The woman brushes the boy’s hair back from his face and he tries to duck under her arm, away from her caring gesture. She laughs at his evasiveness and he shoots her a warm-hearted glare. The laughter bounces off the walls and reminds him of brighter days.

It’s that reminder that prompts him to turn away. He shouldn’t be here. This...this is giving in to a fantasy, to a dream that should have died long ago.

The shadow lopes across the roof with preternatural grace, a hand drifting to the bow strapped across his back, but it drops just as quickly before he even makes contact with the wood. That’s not what he needs. He’s here for a reason.

He has a mission.

...

“You want me to what?!”

Connor scowls at his Uncle Roy as his aunt smirks behind him. Felicity and Diggle exchange amused glances that he catches despite how they avert their eyes.

Angrily, he gestures back to the bowl of water Roy just placed in front of him and the bucket right next to it. Roy just smirks at him. “Slap the bowl of water.”

“Is this a joke?” His eyes dart to his aunt.

Roy chuckles and points to the bowl. “ _This_ is how your father taught me, and how his teacher taught him. I guarantee that if he was here, he would be teaching you the same way.”

“What does a bowl of water have to do with archery?”

Connor feels the irritation-driven urge to punch Roy in the face, especially when he focuses back on the bowl in front of him. And he hasn’t even started slapping it yet. He shoots a look back at Roy to see if he’s just messing with him, but he gestures to the bowl and Connor prepares himself to look like an utter fool as his hand makes contact with the water.

It splashes everywhere and he blinks water out of his eyes.

“Keep your hand flat when you make contact with the water. The goal isn’t to get the biggest splash.”

Connor glares at Roy, but follows his instructions to the T and earns a nod of approval.

“Keep going,” he instructs. “When the bowl is empty, fill it and start working again.”

“But-“

“You promised to do whatever I told you if I would teach you, Connor. I promised to teach you and that’s what I’m doing.”

Connor scowls. “Did he really teach you this way?”

Roy nods, laughing at a memory. “Yeah. And I broke a bowl because I was so annoyed. For me, this was about control. And I learned it the hard way.”

He glances at his aunt. “Did you have to do this too?”

She grimaces. “No. My father put me through something much worse.”

Connor nods and turns back to the bowl with grim determination, slapping the water with newfound focus. He wants to learn this. He’s wanted to learn this for so long. If this is actually what his father would have taught him, he’s going to dedicate himself to this. Even if it makes him look like an idiot.

...

“He’s doing well,” Thea tells Felicity as she slides in her chair to join Felicity at the computer station, her eyes still glued to Connor diligently slapping the water in an ever-growing puddle.

Felicity smiles proudly. “He is, isn’t he?” The smile hasn’t left her face all evening. Diggle’s already asked about it before he had to head home to Lyla and he celebrated with her. She glances back at him and then turns to Thea. “He called me Mom today.”

“What?!” Thea spins back to her, eyes wide as the grin takes over her face. “Are you serious?”

She nods excitedly, glancing back the twelve-year-old who took over her world five years ago. “He said he’s been calling me that in his head for a long time.”

“That’s great, Felicity.”

She smiles, grin fading a little. “It’s a nice way to forget about today.”

Before she can drift into melancholy, the police scanner static bursts to life. Felicity spins back to her machines, listening to the angry shouts of Captain Lance. Her fingers fly over the keyboard with practiced assurance as she runs through her routine: pulling up traffic cams and comms.

“Okay, Roy. We’ve got an assault called in on an alley off Shorn. Suspect is dressed in all black, fighting his was through some sort of organized crime. Reports of gunfire and screams. Proceed with caution.”

“Roger.” Roy snatches his bow, Thea following on his heels.

“I’ll be on comms,” she reports as their motorcycles roar out of the custom garage door.

“Tell the little guy he can take a break.”

Felicity nods even though he can’t see her. “Okay. I’ll have him listen with me.”

“Are you sure? This could get messy.”

She glances back at her son, warmth filling her heart even as the regret takes root. She can’t protect him from this: he’s already seen too much. “He’s seen worse.” As much as it breaks her heart to expose him to this, it already looks like he’s trying to throw himself into their messy lives of vigilanteism.

“Connor...” His wide eyes that come straight from his father meet hers and she can’t help the smile at the determination she sees in them despite the fact that he’s now covered in water. Felicity jerks her head at her computers. “Ready to see what we do?”

...

He practically jumps from the chair. Water soaks his clothes, weighing him down as he sloshes over to the computers. He keeps a careful distance though. He doesn’t need to incur his mom’s loud voice if he gets her equipment wet.

Sure, he’s been in the cave when they were out on missions before. Mom couldn’t always get a babysitter at the last minute, but then he was expected to sleep in the corner. They didn’t like to get him involved, so this...this is huge, maybe even bigger than the archery.

She taps a few buttons and the speakers fill with life.

_“Were you able to get eyes on that alley?”_

He watches in awe as his mother sorts through her multiple screens. “I’m working on it. I might have an ATM camera that will work. Wait! I’m getting a feed.”

Connor’s mouth falls open as her fingers blur and suddenly he can see a figure cloaked in black fighting everyday gangsters. The man in black moves with stunning grace and agility like he’s engaging in a deadly dance. Connor’s never seen anything so beautiful.

“I’ve got eyes!” Felicity shouts with a little fist pump that is so his mother, Connor can’t help but smile. “Be prepared guys. Whoever this man is, he knows what he’s doing.”

“ _What are you looking_ _at?”_ Roy demands.

“He’s cutting through the gangbangers like they’re paper, but none of the strikes look fatal. He’s using two short sticks, but it looks like he’s got a sword and a bow on him. His face is covered. His opponents are so far outclassed. The only reason some are still standing is because he’s not killing.”

Connor looks on in amazement. He didn’t realized how much his mother must know about fighting, how involved she was in everything. He thought she was just here for the computer stuff. It never occurred to him that maybe she was trained too.

_“Are we sure this is one of the bad guys? Felicity?”_

Connor turns to look at his mom, wondering why she’s not answering. He finds her frozen, mouth wide in shock as she stares at the screen.

“Mom?”

Suddenly she moves, hand flashing out to tap the keyboard, stilling the screen. Connor follows her gaze as she stands, her hand ghosting over the screen.

“Oliver...”

Connor’s heart stops beating at her whisper and he focuses on the figure in black. The figure is looking straight into the camera. All you can see is his eyes. Connor would question her sanity except he recognizes those eyes as the ones he sees in the mirror and in the picture in the living room.

Gently, Connor nudges his mother out of the way and pulls up the livefeed again on another screen. He didn’t live with her for five years without picking up some computer skills. The feed isn’t working anymore, but he’s able to rewind the feed to the point where she froze it.

His father stares at the camera for a moment before drawing his bow and shooting the camera out. The movement is practiced, purposeful.

“ _Felicity_?” Roy asks again.

“It’s my dad,” Connor answers, still staring at the black screen of the destroyed feed. “He took out the camera.”

_“Are you sure?”_ It’s Thea this time.

“Yes,” his mother answers in a strangled voice. She blinks rapidly and swallows before continuing in her normal informative voice. “It’s Oliver. He’s dressed in League garb. I don’t think he’s here for a friendly visit.”

Her hand reaches out and Connor takes it in his without thinking. But the touch tethers him to something so it no longer feels like he’s floating through the world unable to affect change on everything about him. 

“ _But he wasn’t killing_ ,” Thea states, but it comes out more like a question.

“ _If he’s here as an assassin, we have to stop him, Thea. You know that_ ,” Roy reminds her gently. His sigh seeps through the comms as he comes to a decision. When he speaks next, it’s with authority. “ _Felicity, see if you can call Diggle back in. If at all possible, I want to bring him in. But for now, we keep him from killing_.”

“But he’s going after a gang. Isn’t that – I don’t know – good?” Connor asks aloud.

His mother turns to him, lifting a hand to run through his hair. “Oh, honey. No. We don’t kill unless absolutely necessary. If we can prevent loss of life, we do.”

He frowns, still not understanding.

She sighs as she continues to stroke his hair. “If we can stop an enemy with nonlethal force, we do. Roy and Thea...they can kill, but they don’t. It takes more skill to take down an opponent without killing them. Killing is easy.” She smiles sadly. “Or so I’ve been told.”

“But the Arrow...”

“There was a rough patch when he first started out,” his mother supplies.

Connor glances back at the frozen screen. “And now?”

His mom follows his gaze and sighs. “They will do whatever they can to bring him in alive.”

“Is...” Connor swallows audibly as he contemplates their current situation. “Is this my fault?”

“What?” She whips her head around to stare at him and Connor focuses on the dirt under his fingernails. “Hey. No. This is not your fault. Why would you think that?”

“If they hadn’t taken me five years ago, he wouldn’t have gone with them.”

“Oh, Connor, baby. Don’t think like that.” She pulls him into a warm hug. “It’s not your fault. They were looking for Malcolm Merlyn and saw the opportunity to use you. It’s not your fault.”

Like a little kid, Connor takes comfort in his mother, letting her hold him longer than he has in years. He clings to her even as he feels her shifting to text Digg like Roy asked. He’s conflicted and he doesn’t know how to feel about this new development. Oliver hadn’t been around long enough for him to get truly close with his father, but he thought it was okay. He didn’t miss a father he never had. But now...

“Felicity! What’s going on?”

Connor starts at Uncle John’s voice, pulling away from Felicity and curling back into his own chair as his attention reverts back to the screens in front of them.

He frowns at his father’s face frozen there.

God, who would have thought he would be this confused when seeing this man again?

...

“What’s going on?” Digg repeats, but his eyes are already zeroing in on the masked figure frozen on the screen.

Felicity glances at Connor before standing to meet Digg. “We found Oliver.”

His eyes snap to hers, a thousand questions flitting unanswered between them. “What...”

“Roy and Thea are on it. He’s taking on a gang downtown. No killing that we’re aware of right now. He took out the camera.”

“ _I’ve got eyes,_ ” Roy whispers in her ear. Felicity silently hands Digg a comms unit. She decided to keep Connor out of this until he knows he can handle it. God, she almost doesn’t want to be a part of it. It feels like her heart is being slowly rubbed raw by sandpaper.

“ _He still hasn’t killed yet_ ,” Thea adds quietly. “ _But he’s also not being gentle. Some of these guys have_ limbs _missing. There’s a whole lot of blood, even if no one’s died._ ”

Felicity pales just thinking about it. God, she doesn’t want to know this.

A hand squeezes her bicep and she lifts her eyes to Digg’s understanding face. “Why don’t you take Connor home?” He suggests gently. “I can run comms and we’ll keep you informed.”

She glances back at the boy still entranced by the screen. He looks as battered as she feels right now. She doesn’t even have the strength to protest so she nods numbly. “Okay. I’ll...I’ll check in on you guys from there.”

Felicity wanders back to Connor and runs a hand through his short hair until he twists to look up at her. “Let’s head home, sport. Uncle John will keep us informed, but we should get some rest.”

Connor opens his mouth to protest, but she gives him a look and he nods instead, moving back to the practice area to grab his duffel bag. She squeezes Digg’s hand.

“Thank you.”

“We’ll bring him back.”

She smiles like she wishes she could believe him and walks away with her heart aching again.

...

“ _Roy, please tell me you have something_.” Digg’s voice crackles in his ear and Roy grimaces as he takes in the scene in front of him.

It’s something alright.

There are seven bodies scattered on the ground, each spilling various amounts of blood. Some of them might die from blood loss, but considering the police are on their way, they might live to land in prison for their illegal weapons and drugs. Only one man is still standing and he’s facing Oliver with his shaking hands over his head. There’s a telltale wet spot on his jeans and the nose-scrunching scent of piss that reveals just how scared the man is of the assassin before him.

Perhaps the strangest part is the lack of weapons in Oliver’s hand.

No, Roy reflects. His mentor is perfectly capable of taking the man down with his bare hands. But Oliver is just standing there, silently staring down the gangster with cold eyes no one has seen in Star City in years.

“ _He’s not doing anything_ ,” Thea whispers over the comms. Unerringly, Roy spots her across the warehouse, crouched behind some crates full of God-knows-what.

Oliver’s head snaps in her direction and Roy’s grip tightens on his bow. Damn. Oliver’s at a whole other level now if he could hear Thea’s whisper. He was more than a little nervous about facing down his teacher, but this, this could be far worse than he imagined if Oliver’s improved that much.

“Wh-wh-what do you w-w-want?” The gangster asks, eyes shifting nervously, unable to focus on the figure in black before him.

The man slowly draws his eyes away from Thea’s position, back to the shivering gangster. Roy hates to think what Oliver did to scare the man so badly that he can barely form a coherent sentence.

Oliver continues to stare around the room. He still hasn’t spoken.

Roy grimaces as he realizes what’s happening. Oliver’s looking for them, for _him_ specifically. He’s already figured out Thea’s position, but he knows she wouldn’t be here alone.

“ _Guys-_ “

Thea cuts Digg off. “ _We’re blown. He knows we’re here. Move now!_ ”

He doesn’t question it. They’re on the same page. They have been for years. They’re a well-oiled team. Thea jumps out from cover. Oliver already knows where she is, so he’s expecting her, but Roy’s the one with some vestige of surprise.

His aim is careful, honed over the last five years until he can hit with pinpoint accuracy. He’ll be the first to admit that it’s good because Thea and Oliver are going toe to toe and it’s hard to get a shot in. He’s damn lucky his fiancé trusts him with her life.

“Digg,” he says into the comms, not bothering to keep his voice down. His location is blown anyway. “He came here to draw us out. He wasn’t after the gang.”

Knock the arrow, draw the string back, shoot.

_Thud_.

Perverse pride fills Roy that he was able to hit his mentor in the arm. Thea follows up with a well-placed punch but Oliver is far from felled. He comes back swinging, finally reaching back for a weapon.

“ _Who’s his target?_ ” Digg asks, worry filling his voice.

“No idea.” Roy runs, jumping from the loft straight for Oliver’s head.

Thea rolls out of the way and Oliver barely manages to block, but they both go down hard. Roy rolls out of it, but Oliver has some trouble. Possibly because Thea’s now holding his own sword to his throat as they both breathe heavily.

Roy steps back, drawing another arrow that he keeps aimed at his former mentor’s head.

“Hey, Ollie,” Thea offers with a smirk. “Long time no see.”

Piercing blue eyes continue to stare at her, emotionless.

“What? Cat got your tongue?”

“ _Thea, Roy...I sent Felicity and Connor home. What if he was a distraction?_ ”

Thea tenses at the news, but keeps her hand steady. “Green Arrow, did you get that?” She asks Roy in a stiff voice.

Roy doesn’t react to the news, just stares at Oliver as his eyes dart between them, cold and assessing.

“Is Felicity in danger?” Roy asks, softly maintaining the hard edge he developed in his years as Green Arrow. It’s the only way he knows to get through to the man before them.

His blue eyes cloud in confusion and he’s willing to bet that Oliver’s frowning beneath that mask. He shakes his head slightly and Roy nods.

“Call them, Digg. Make sure they’re fine. Get her patched into comms,” Roy instructs for Oliver’s benefit. He’s sure the other man is already doing everything he just said.

“ _What’s going on?_ ” Felicity’s voice comes through, oddly calm.

“He was drawing us out,” Thea supplies.

“ _Can you get him back to the Foundry?_ ” Digg asks.

Thea and Roy exchange a glance. Sure, they’ve got the upperhand right now, but as soon as someone moves, the stalemate is broken.

“What are the chances you’ll come with us to the Foundry?” Thea asks her brother. They might as well try the straightforward approach. She shrugs at Roy’s questioning glance.

Oliver’s eyes narrow.

“Well, I figure it was worth a try.”

Oliver moves then, but Roy beats him to it, tossing a stun flechette right into his neck.

What neither of them expect is for Oliver to catch the arrow millimeters from his skin and snap it in half. He spins into action, sweeping out and catching Thea off-guard. Roy stays on his feet a moment longer, but then the police come bursting into the building.

Over calls of ‘FREEZE!’ Roy and his mentor lock eyes. And then the man disappears and Roy and Thea are forced to retreat or risk arrest themselves.

...

“I lost him,” Felicity sighs, running her fingers through her hair as she stares at the computer set up in the spare bedroom of her apartment. A now-cold cup of coffee sits just outside of her reach. Her eyes are drooping as the sun starts to rise outside her window.

“ _Felicity, you need to sleep_ ,” Roy chides in her ear.

“I can find him, Roy. I know I can.”

“ _It’s morning. You haven’t had any sleep and you need to get to work._ ”

She groans, rubbing her eyes as she tries to wake herself up. She slumps forward onto the desk. “Roy...”

“ _Get some sleep, Blondie. Call in sick if you have to.”_

“Fine,” she agrees, if only to shut him up. “Fine.”

Felicity keeps tapping away at the keyboard long after Roy gets off the comms. She gives in to her nodding head sometime before Connor wakes, head falling messily into her keyboard. She’s stuck in the in-between of wake and sleep. She feels like she’s floating, rocking like she’s on a boat, but she just burrows into the warmth around her and lets herself sink further into sleep.

...

His heart aches as he holds the woman he loves, nearly breaking him as she snuggles into his hold. He pauses mid-step to stare down at the woman in his arms, running his fingers along her arm before resuming his path.

He lowers her into bed slowly, but her hand curls into his jacket and refuses to release. Slowly, gently, he pries it open, spending a little extra time massaging her hand before lowering it to the bed and pulling the blanket over her.

She makes a noise of protest and he reaches up to caress her cheek, brushing her hair out of her face to tuck it behind her ear. He marvels for a moment how she turns into his touch, smiling contentedly, even in her sleep.

Without thought – forethought would have stopped him – he leans forward and presses a kiss to her temple before disappearing once more into the shadows.

...

“Mom?”

Connor pushes the door open slowly. The radio is blasting from the alarm clock on the bed, but she hasn’t stirred. He tiptoes into the room and then realizes the pure ridiculousness of his actions. If the alarm failed to wake her, his footsteps aren’t going to do the job.

He shuts off the alarm and checks to make sure she’s still breathing before sneaking back out of the room.

It’s a Friday and he’s late for school, but Connor takes his time, wandering back into the kitchen and pulling out his phone as he makes himself breakfast.

“Hello. You’ve reached the office of Ms. Smoak. How can I direct your call?”

“Hey, Joanne. It’s Connor.” He munches into an apple as he lays the charm on thick for his mother’s secretary. “Mom won’t be making it into work today. Or at least not this morning. She had a rough night.”

“Alright. She didn’t have any major meetings this morning. I can move everything around. Tell her to get some rest. She’s been working too hard these last couple days.”

“Thanks, Joanne.”

“No problem, squirt.”

Connor hangs up with a smirk. He scribbles a quick note to his mother and starts the long walk to school.

...

He’s officially over Middle School. He’s been over Middle School since he started. He’s over the bullies and the classes and stuck-in-between feeling constantly plaguing him. He’s also over teachers questioning him being late. He would have skipped if he thought Felicity would be okay with it.

“Where’ve you been, Hawke?”

Biting back a huff of laughter, Connor turns to face the annoyed scowl of his best friend. “It was a slow morning at my house.”

“The perfect Felicity Smoak was late?”

He grins. “She was still asleep when I left. How was first period?”

Mia’s face twists into a grimace at the thought of their first period math class. Her gray eyes narrow. “Well, Mr. Jefferson was boring as usual.”

“So, I didn’t miss much.”

“Nope.”

“Look who finally decided to show up!”

“Buzz off, Watson!” Mia counters, barely bothering to throw a look over her shoulder.

“What? You’re the only one who can ask questions? What did you do? Cut first period?”

Mia rolls her eyes and drops into her seat without looking back

“Nick!” Connor fist bumps his other best friend, but ignores all the other questions as he slides into his seat. Nick’s not the kind of friend you tell about your life and share all the happy moments with.

He moved to their school a year ago and he latched on to Connor after a particularly entertaining gym class. Mia’s not his biggest fan and he and Mia have been friends for the past five years. She was the first person to talk to him at his new school. She showed him the ropes. It was her help that allowed him to return to a normal life after his mother’s death, his kidnapping, and his father’s disappearance.

“So where were you?” Nick asks again.

“I got off to a late start this morning.”

“And Felicity was okay with that?” 

Connor frowns at his casual use of his mother’s name but lifts his green late pass into the air. He learned to forge her signature a year ago when he kept needing her signature on his tests. She caught him practicing and then started giving him pointers on how her signature changed. When he had mastered it, she told him if he used it on anything outside of tests and school notes, she would never let him into the Foundry ever again.

“Well, you definitely have the coolest parent ever.”

Connor shrugs noncommittally. Sure, Felicity is a great mom, but he’s lost so many people too. Besides, the whole superhero family is plenty awesome, even if he hasn’t learned to fight with any of the weapons yet, including that weird bowl-of-water thing last night.

“Is she okay?” Mia asks softly, leaning forward as their classmates get ready for history.

He shifts in his seat, glancing around before leaning forward. “An old friend showed up last night and Mom was preoccupied.”

Mia’s lips part in surprise that quickly morphs into a genuine smile. It takes him a moment to realize it’s because he called her Mom. He groans and turns away from the smirk he knows is etched into her face. She knows how much he’s been struggling with that and now she’s happy for him.

He thinks he’s safe as the teacher starts talking, but Mia leans close and pokes his shoulder. “I’m happy for you.”

Connor can’t resist the responding grin. He’s happy too.

...

_Do doo do do doooooo_

Felicity sleepily flounders at her phone’s ringtone, her hand randomly flailing for the little, metal noise box. She doesn’t even bother opening her eyes until she can’t find the phone plugged into the charger, resting on her nightstand.

Her eyes blink open and immediately shut at the bright light flooding in her bedroom window. The memories from the night before come flashing back and she rolls over to give her time to think without the sun blinding her.

She frowns. When did she go to bed? The last thing she remembers is falling asleep at her computer. Connor couldn’t carry her. Could she have walked on her own?

Felicity lifts a hand to her cheek and a caress she barely remembers from a dream...unless it wasn’t...

She shakes her head. No. Her head’s just overreacting because Oliver’s back in town.

Her phone goes off again.

“Hello,” she grumbles into the phone, eyes sliding closed in a terrible imitation of what she wants to do, which is sleep.

“Felicity, are you just waking up?” Digg’s concerned voice permeates her brain and she rolls over to look at her alarm clock only to groan and flop back on the bed.

“Please tell me it’s not almost one in the afternoon.”

Digg chuckles. “Don’t worry. Connor called into work for you and I double checked: he’s in school.”

She falls face first into bed, feeling like a failure. She should have been awake with her alarm. Connor shouldn’t have had to fend for himself. This is something her mother used to do.

“And the searches I was running?” She stretches as dread fills her at the question. Either they got something back or they didn’t, and Felicity’s not sure which is preferable at this point. If they did, the team would have to follow up on the lead, and who knew what Oliver would be like when they did. If there was no lead...well, that didn’t really bode well either.

“I’m on my way to the Foundry now.”


End file.
